The present invention relates generally to syringes for the injection of medicines into the body, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for catching fluids ejected from the needle of a syringe containing a hazardous or potentially hazardous liquid, such as a chemotherapy drug, as air and/or excess liquid is purged from the syringe.
The use of syringes for the hypodermic injection of medicines into the body through a hollow needle fixedly or detachedly forming a part of a syringe is commonplace in modern medicine. Preparation of a syringe for a hypodermic injection comprises drawing an approximate dosage of a medicine into a barrel of the syringe from a vial by means of a plunger sealingly fitted within the barrel of the syringe. Air is almost always included within the syringe barrel or the desired dosage exceeds that which is recommended. Accordingly, the syringe is held with the open end of its hollow needle extending generally upward and the plunger is inserted into the barrel to purge the air and/or excess medicine from the syringe prior to injection.
The purging spray from the needle is ordinarily harmless and may be simply squirted into the air or into a pad of gauze material. However, some fluids held by a syringe for injection or otherwise are hazardous or potentially hazardous, for example, chemotherapy drugs, for which the present invention is particularly applicable. When working with such fluids, the conventional purging operation described creates a dangerous health hazard to personnel utilizing the syringe. It is, thus, apparent that the need exists for a method and apparatus for purging a syringe to catch the spray which squirts from the open end of a hollow needle of a syringe when air and/or excessive portions of a hazardous or potentially hazardous liquid are ejected from the syringe to purge it.